ASPI – Bill Sweetman says Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group’s J-36 scooped up most of the publicity around China’s late-December revelations, but a second combat type, one from Shenyang Aircraft and referred to for now as J-XX, was revealed at the same time.
Author Archives: Naval Open Source Intelligence (NOSI)
Houthis Claim 7th Strike on Carrier Truman as Red Sea Conflict Continues
USNI News – The Houthis announced that they targeted the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group on Friday, casting doubt on whether the Yemen-based terrorist group would stop its attacks on ships in the Red Sea following a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Navy Warships Have To Leave Red Sea Fight For Weeks To Reload Their Missiles
The War Zone – Such a reality, and its implications for a war with China, are driving the development of the Transferrable Reload At-sea Method used to reload missiles underway.
Iran Unveils New Spy Ship Based On Corvette Hull
The War Zone – While most intelligence-gathering ships are based on commercial designs or specifications, Iran’s new spy ship uses a Mowj class corvette hull.
French Navy Kicks Off La Perouse 2025 Exercise In East Indian Ocean
Naval News – The multinational La Perouse exercise, which takes place every two years, has begun in the eastern Indian Ocean around the Indonesian archipelago. Nine French allied and partner navies are participating. The focus is to train to secure strategic sea lines of communication in the Indo-Pacific.
Russian Ship Sinking: Spy Ship Yantar Diving On Wreck
Naval News – During the forenoon of January 15th, the Russian oceanographic research vessel Yantar arrived in a position 40 nautical miles north of Oran, Algeria, and 216 nautical miles east of Gibraltar.
Navy admiral ‘skeptical’ of Large USV’s future amid congressional scrutiny
Breaking Defense – A senior Navy officer overseeing the service’s investments into unmanned surface vehicles says he’s “skeptical” of fielding the Large Unmanned Surface Vessel.
DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer’s Capabilities And Costs Are Solidifying
The War Zone – The Navy’s head of surface warfare says DDG(X) is a “clean-sheet imperative” that will prioritize electricity production, endurance and advanced weapons.
Navy Now Seeking Commercial Ship Design To Propel Its Long-Delayed Medium Landing Ship Program Forward
The War Zone – The Navy halted the Medium Landing Ship effort last month after high cost estimates and is now seeking commercial vessel designs to move Marines in a Pacific fight.
Chinese scientists have dabbled in undersea cable-cutting tech
Defense News – Chinese scientists have been researching ways to cut undersea cables since at least the late 2000s, according to a recent report in the U.S. magazine Newsweek. Reporters at Newsweek uncovered two patent applications Chinese researchers filed for towed undersea cable-cutting devices and associated methods to inflict such damage.
State of Navy’s shipboard laser efforts is embarrassing, says top fleet commander
Breaking Defense – A top Navy fleet commander says the service should be “embarrassed” by the fact it hasn’t managed yet to scale directed energy weapons onboard its ships despite having experimented with the technology since the Reagan administration.
NATO launches Baltic patrol mission, eyes standard for detaining ships
Defense News – Following a series of sabotage incidents against underwater infrastructure, NATO has launched a maritime patrol mission in the Baltic Sea that will include frigates, naval drones, submarines and surveillance aircraft in a show of force against a shadowy fleet of vessels suspected of doing Moscow’s bidding.
The United States Can’t Afford Not to Harden Its Air Bases
War on the Rocks – Executing an effective campaign to enhance the resilience of U.S. airfield operations will require informed decisions to prioritize projects and sustained funding. What is clear, however, is that U.S. airfields do face the threat of attack, and the current approach of largely ignoring this menace invites Chinese aggression and risks losing a war. Passive defenses, including hardening, are essential, and other countries have invested heavily in them to sustain airfield operations amidst attack. It is past time for the United States to do so again.
What The Navy’s Massive Orca Submarine Drone Is Actually Capable Of
The War Zone – We dive deep with the captain in charge of the Orca program on the drone’s current abilities and what it could be capable of in the future.
Super Hornet Incident, Houthi Attacks Help Refine How Surface Force Fights, Say Admirals
USNI News – Training and learning from ships that already spent months in the Red Sea was focus of a panel that included the heads of naval surface forces and aviation at the Surface Navy Association Symposium Tuesday.
Russia’s “Admiral Nakhimov” Battlecruiser Is Returning to the High Seas
The War Zone – It is believed that this iconic boat will split its time between the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic, while avoiding the relatively cramped spaces of the Black Sea.
(Thanks to Alain)
Navy Just Revealed Tally Of Surface-To-Air Missiles Fired In Ongoing Red Sea Fight
The War Zone – Navy surface combatants have fired off hundreds of missiles and five-inch shells to repel Houthi drone and missile attacks.
Chinese Barge Usable For Potential Taiwan Beach Landings Seen In Action In New Image
The War Zone – An image has appeared showing a Chinese commercial roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) ferry linked to a temporary pier via a barge with jack-up supports.
Sweden reported damage to another submarine cable in the Baltic
EurAsia Daily – Another submarine cable connecting Sweden, Lithuania, Germany and Finland was damaged in the Baltic Sea.
(Thanks to Alain)
SMWDC, Growing the Tactical Skill of the Surface Force
CIMSEC – CIMSEC recently engaged with the commander of the Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), RDML Wilson Marks, to discuss the latest developments and priorities of the command. RDML Marks discusses multiple topics in this interview, including how SMWDC is learning from Red Sea combat, the wartime role of the command, and how far SMWDC has come ten years after its establishment.
Syria’s New Rulers May Block Russia From Evacuating Naval Base
Maritime Executive – Ukraine’s military intelligence agency claims that Russia is encountering difficulties in gaining access to its longtime naval base in Tartus, where it appears to have staged large quantities of military equipment for outward shipment.
(Thanks to Alain)
Building Warfighting Competence: The Halsey Alpha Wargaming Experience
CIMSEC – My participation in the Halsey Alfa program, which has focused on war with China for more than 20 years, became one of the most significant and impactful learning experiences of my career. I believe this critical, analytical, and educational opportunity should be mandatory for every unrestricted line officer in the Navy.
Progress Update On U.S. Navy, Marines, DARPA, And USSOCOM Seaplanes
Naval News – In the Fall of 2024, Naval News sent media inquiries to the United States’ Navy, Marines, DARPA, and Special Operations Command for progress updates on their seaplane programs. Although it took a few months to obtain the answers, these U.S. military agencies responded to Naval News with the following information.
China resumes work on Yellow Sea island, amid Korea’s political turmoil
Breaking Defense – As South Korea’s political structure totters in the wake of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal, China is said to have built a large structure in a disputed areaof the Yellow Sea.
U.S. Army Validates Maritime Transport Of Typhon Missile System
Naval News – The loading of what the U.S. Army described as a “credible, land-based maritime strike capability” onto a vessel for the first time is a crucial step for the Typhon Missile System’s future deployment in coastal and amphibious operations across the Indo-Pacific.
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